Captain's Orders
by HiFry
Summary: A disgruntled pirate hires a young chef as part of his crew. Though distant at first the two grow closer after they get caught in a sticky situation.
1. Chapter 1

**Pirate!Klaine :D  
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**uploaded: August 19, 2011**

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><p>"Prepare the sails! It's nearly time to dock at the checkpoint!"<p>

"Aye captain!" bellowed a dozen men in unison.

Standing starboard a young man with dark hair in curls barked orders in the direction of the bow. His face was rugged and worn but somehow there was a certain gentleness about him. His actions were cold and threatening, but in his eyes there was something different; compassion? Or maybe sorrow. Captain Anderson he was called; seldom addressed by his first name, Blaine, both because of his rank and because of preference. It was unusual and he hated it. Currently on his way to a small island off the coast of Cuba, Anderson assembles his crew to find and bring aboard a new recruit who will serve as the new kitchen boy.

"Drop anchor!" he ordered, "and tie her off!"

The pirates bustled about, half of them gathering ropes to tie the ship to the dock and the other half hoisting a very large piece of lumber over the side to later be used as an exit ramp.

He watched them from the quarterdeck tiredly. His head was pounding from slight dehydration, and probably just as well from the lack of sleep he had been enduring for a generous amount of time now. Each night he woke with a start, chest heaving, drenched in cold sweat, never able to remember what provoked him.

With hidden discomfort the captain strode down from the quarterdeck to join the rest of the crew. They had finished their duties and were awaiting further instruction. He simply said, "do what you like, but be back on the ship by twilight, understood?"

"AYE!" the men replied with vigor.

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><p>Now on shore Captain Anderson wandered about the dodgy alleyways of the criminal haven only slowing to read the signs of shoddy little shops and dwellings.<p>

Finally he found the place he had been searching for. The sun was starting to set across the calm Caribbean Sea now so he knew he had to be quick in order to get back to the ship on time. The rotting wooden board above the door was marked "Hummel Culinary Crafts". _Yeah, this is the place, _he thought. However more run down than he'd imagined it would be.

He pushed open the door with a slight creak. The inside looked no better than the out. The wooden floor was in such bad shape he wasn't even sure it was safe to walk atop. But without reservation he took the first step in, his heavy boot making the floor squeak and echo throughout the accommodation. _Damn that was loud._

"Hello?" came a startled voice; "is someone there?" it came again.

"uhh, Aye. I'm Captain Anderson; I'm here to bring you aboard the Pavarotti. Figgins should have let you know I'd be coming 'round."

"Oh! Of course! I'm back here sir!" the voice called from another room.

It beckoned to him like the song of a siren.

He stepped forward into the dark room. Walking blindly toward the area the voice had come from. He found himself in what appeared to be a kitchen. Upon seeing it he thought it must be the cleanest room in the house. Pots and pans adorned the walls, jars and utensils on the counter tops, and then there before him, a boy who seemed to be about his own age beamed at him with an expression he doubt he'd ever seen before. It was soft and forgiving. A face purely consisting of acceptance. He seemed to glow with an almost holy light, it was somewhat repulsive.

"Right. We'd better be heading to the harbor then."

The boy only nodded in response and picked up his rucksack that clanged and clattered when he walked (presumably full of kitchen ware).

The walk back to the ship was quiet as the captain had little to say and the boy seemed too intimidated to start a conversation.

They reached the ship and found the rest of the crew to be back in their positions, but just before climbing the ramp to join them they stood facing each other.

In a hushed yet stern voice Anderson said, "kid, you're not here to waste time and sail for fun, you're here to follow my orders and work with us to survive; but, I should at least be aware of your name. Also, know that I am a pirate who leads a pirate ship, _not_ a navy vessel. You are not protected by any monarch or government or rights of any kind on my ship, however you are no safer back at that house on this island than you would be with me, understand?"

"y-yes sir!" the boy uttered in response "and, uh, my name is Kurt! Kurt Hummel, sir!"

"Well Hummel, you start kitchen duty upon the morrow. I will NOT tolerate tardiness, and _expect_ my morning meal in my quarters at dawn!"

"Aye Sir!"


	2. Chapter 2

Good gracious I was not expecting the response I got for this story! Thank you all so much for adding it to your story alert, and to the one of you who added it as a favorite, and the one who added me to their author alert.

A shout-out to **WaNderiNgDovE** for the review! Thanks, It means a lot! And also to my good friend **Adam** for filling the roll as my editor :]

I realize that this chapter took much too long to be published. Classes have just started up for me so last week was really hectic. Thanks for your patience everyone, I'll try and get a schedule going asap! :D

And now, on to chapter 2.

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><p><em>Blaine, sweetheart, whatever happens, know that I Lo—<em>

"Hhhh, hhhaa," Captain Anderson breathed out heavily as he woke with a start. He stirred and sat up in his bed, wiping at the sweat on his brow. Quickly he tried to retrieve a memory, any memory, in which he might be able to find the reason he always woke up this way, but to no avail.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Um, Mr. An—oops, uh, Captain! I have your meal!"

_Oh yeah, I forgot that boy joined us._

"Right, come on then."

The door handle wiggled a bit and then with a creek, just enough light poured in through the opening to see the silhouette of a boy balancing a tray in his left hand as the other pushed the door shut.

Placing the tray on the nearest available surface Kurt groped in his pockets to find something to light the room with. There was a scratching noise and then a bright light that quickly dimmed into a dull orange. The flame was transferred to a wick inside of a gas lantern and the match quickly extinguished. Kurt fumbled nervously, picking the tray up again and carrying it over to the bed-side table nearest the captain.

"It's cooked oats this morning, captain."

"Is it ever anything else?" he replied lightly.

Kurt thought he saw the hint of a smile on his face, but he couldn't be sure. Feeling slightly less nervous Kurt shuffled over to a window on the far side of the cabin and drew the curtains letting in a sliver of morning light. He looked over at the captain and gave a warm grin. Blaine looked back at him with a scrunched up face, trying desperately to adjust his vision to the newly lit environment. _He looks exhausted _Kurt thought, his smile gradually circles rested below his eyes, and a rough plot of stubble covered his lower face.

"Captain, are y-."

"Hummel, you're only the kitchen boy, there's no need for you to call me captain."

"Oh….right. So uh, Mr. Anderson, are you…not sleeping well?"

The usually sturdy captain's eyes widened. It was the first time in a very, very long time that anyone had asked him something like that. Did he really care? Or was it just small talk to keep the silence at bay? Though he was skeptical of Kurt's motives for asking, Blaine decided to jump on the situation, it wasn't often people wanted to know about him.

"As it turns out, no, not really."

"Is it the sea, sir? Or-"

"It's a dream actually."

"sir?"

"Some sort of nightmare I think. I wake up in the most awful conditions, but can't seem to remember what made me like that; it happens every night, and just before you came in I had just woken up from it."

Blaine looked at Kurt, staring back at him with somewhat of a loss for words. He instantly regretted going into so much detail and wished he could just swallow his words back. He had to say something to break this tension that seemed to course thickly through the air between them.

"I, uh-" he started, but before he could go on, Kurt opened his mouth. He said something almost inaudible at first, but then cleared this throat and tried again.

"Um, Mr. Anderson, if you ever need to, um, talk, or something, I'm always around if you need me to be. You said I wasn't exactly part of your crew, which means you can be someone else to me. You don't have to put on a façade in front of me because I won't judge you."

_Won't judge me? Façade? What? _It's like he took one look at me and saw right through everything I've ever built around myself. _Damn it. _

"I- I'll keep that in mind, Hummel."

The boys sat and stood in silence just looking at each other for what could have been millennia.

The light in the room began to grow into a steady presence as the sun rose higher in the sky as if to signal to the two boys that the day was moving along and it would continue to move along with or without them.

"I, uh, better be getting back to work, it'll be time for the mid-day meal soon." Kurt said sheepishly, his eyes darting around the room, avoiding Blaine's intense stare.

Snapping back into reality Blaine shook his head a time or two before running his hand through his dark matted curls.

"Yeah" he replied to the boy. "work."


	3. Chapter 3

**Find me on tumblr! my username is HiFry there too!  
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**I post my klaine sketches there when I make them. And also any illustrations I do for this story can be found there. :] **

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I'm really glad it's longer than the last two. You'll see some development in this chapter so enjoy that! **

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><p>A fortnight had gone by since the situation in the captain's cabin. The air around the ship was changing as summer drew to a close. The days became shorter and the sun less focused on melting the Earth. For the most part, Kurt stayed below deck, his skin, just as pale and tender as it was when he was brought aboard. He would serve meals to the crewmen in the dingy dining hall three times a day. Sometimes the captain would join them but usually he had Kurt deliver his meals to his cabin. When Kurt would take it to him however, he found the room empty almost every time and on the occasions Blaine was there he didn't say much, or look at him. Kurt often saw him on the Sterncastle, leaning slightly over the railing. He was there tonight as well. He appeared to be watching the sea but Kurt knew it must be more. A desperate search for the reasons he awoke in terror every night; a quest within his mind, his soul, for the answer. With the night's meal in hand, Kurt stood quietly looking upward toward the boy. He stood still, gazing across the dark ocean. The Sun was low on the horizon so Kurt couldn't make out much detail from where he stood. <em>Maybe I should go talk to him…<em>

Kurt went to take a step forward, but as he did the contents on the tray clinked together, reverberating in the thick evening air. Broken from his trance, Blaine turned around and saw him. Unsure of what to do now that he'd been caught Kurt froze. He tried to formulate something to say but stopped when Blaine spoke up first.

"Is that my meal?" the words slid out coolly and were replaced by a smirk.

"Y-yes sir, it is" Kurt replied, straightening his posture.

Blaine watched him, unblinking, as he trekked up the stairs to meet him. There was a small table on the landing with maps and writing utensils, a scope and a compass. Kurt searched for a clear spot and set down the tray. The two of them stood alone in the dim evening light, for the crew had gone below to prepare for the night.

Kurt saw the captain glance down at the tray of less than appealing scraps of food and with a softer look than before he said "perhaps we should stop by a market somewhere to get some more glamorous food, seems we're reaching the bland part of our stock" more to himself than to Kurt.

"Why don't we do that sir?" Kurt asked carefully, not sure if he was over-stepping his boundaries or not.

Blaine looked at him as if he wanted to say something he's wanted to say for a very long time, but his face hardened and he seemed to change his mind at the last second. "Not possible; the shores around here aren't safe; we need to leave this place as soon as we can."

Kurt thought he saw a trace of fear in his eyes, but before Kurt knew it, he blinked and turned his head away.

"Why? What's out there?" Kurt was serious now, he didn't want the captains to have to hide in silence anymore; he wanted to be someone the captain could trust.

Blaine cocked his head toward Kurt, surprised at his forwardness, but answered all the same. "Bad pirates."

"Is there such a thing as a_ good_ pirate?" Kurt retorted.

Blaine lifted an eyebrow, "Why? Do you consider me and by crew bad?"

Kurt stood rigid, looked slightly mortified. "No, uh, that's not what I meant. Sorry sir."

"It's alright, you have a point. Being a pirate isn't a glorious profession, but there are _really_ bad pirates out there. Pirates that my crew and I don't even hold a candle to as far as senseless cruelty goes. They are the kind of pirates that kill for fun, not the kind that kill for survival. As dishonorable as it may be to kill for the purpose of stealing or whatever, it's even less honorable to do it for sport."

Kurt stood totally still. His mind was swimming with so many thoughts. His mother had died long ago when he was quite young; because of that his father worked many jobs and was rarely home, so Kurt was alone a lot of the time. Kurt had lived his whole life in a shady town that was visited by pirates often because of its location, and he heard tales of pirate raids and ship-jackings, not to mention he'd killed his share of chickens and hogs for his culinary shop, but the idea of killing another person, or seeing another person killed before him was an idea he just couldn't fathom.

"So… You've killed someone before, then?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted to hear the answer.

"Just once; I try not to make a habit out of taking a life."

Kurt nodded slowly; at war with himself to decide if it would be a bad idea to keep asking questions, but finally he made up his mind, and curtly asked, "who?"

Blaine's face grew into a pained and somewhat ashamed look. "He was another pirate; a captain of another ship. He and his crew had come aboard the Pav at dusk one night a few years ago. It was a massacre more vicious than I'd never known before. My men weren't prepared and I just barely made it. It was life or death that night, all I could do to stay alive was kill him before he killed me." Blaine's face was twisted with painful memories. His eyes were glazed over as though he was reliving the battle in his head right then. Suddenly he felt something unfamiliar and looked over to see Kurt's hand on his shoulder. He could feel it squeezing him in reassurance. He looked over to Kurt's face; Kurt's eyes told him that Kurt understood the fear, the pain, and that he was there. There to be someone Blaine could hold onto when he needed it. Blaine didn't move of brush him off, he just let the warmth surround him, and calm him, keeping him sane through the episode bitter flashbacks surging through him. It'd been so long since he recalled that night; it was all he could do to keep from breaking down. Eventually he spoke again. "My entire crew, the men I grew up with…I watched them all get slaughtered." There was a pause and a choked look on Blaine's face. "When I was a child I was alone. When I was ten I joined this ship as a deckhand, eventually I earned my rank as captain; natural talent I guess. Most of those men I had known since I joined. They basically raised me. Then that happened. I was torn, a complete mess. I finally got to the point where I rebuilt my crew, and you…you were the last piece." A glimmer of a tear shone in the corner of his eye as he recalled more of the nightmare, but it was held back, he wouldn't cry, not now; but before he could fully compose himself he could feel himself being jerked around and thrown into such warmth he'd never felt before. He was consumed in empathy, safety, tenderness, grace, and an unfamiliar smell. What was that smell? He glanced down through blurred vision and saw Kurt wrapped around him. Holding tight and crying into him.

"It must have been so hard" Kurt blubbered into Blaine's chest. Blaine could feel the heat of his breath through his clothes and his tears soaking through this tunic. They stood there a while; Kurt clutching at Blaine and sobbing, Blaine resting his hands lightly on Kurt's back and just looking down at him. At that time, Kurt cried for Blaine; he cried for all the times that he never could himself. Who was this person, this boy who would intrude upon all the past he usually wished to keep hidden and see through his exterior to his true emotions and cry for him?

Kurt's sobs finally slowed and turned to heavy breaths and sniffles. The sun finally ducked beneath the waters and the sudden darkness seemed to alert Kurt and bring him to reality. His head jerked up from where it had rested on Blaine's chest. His eyes met with the captain's for a second before he jolted backward, stuttering and mumbling as he went.

"C-captain, I mean, uhm, sir, I-I'm so sorry. I don't… I don't know what happened to me, I was ju-" he felt a heavy hand fall onto his head and proceed to rustle his hair.

"Don't worry about it." Blaine said with a soft look as he walked over to the little table and picked up the tray that was resting there. "Thanks for the food." He nodded once and disappeared as he descended the stairs and went into his room.

Kurt stayed there a while, leaning over the rail as Blaine often did, and watched the dark sea go by. Had he been out of line? The captain didn't seem to be angry. Oh well, despite what had happened he felt a sort of relief; as though a barrier between them was taken down. He felt like he was closer to the captain than anyone had been in a long time. Maybe he could help him to no longer be a person he's not. They could be strong together and share each other's burdens. Maybe he could help. Maybe he could be someone special to Blaine. The thought put a smile on Kurt's face. He let the cool night air swirl around him while he stood there thinking about the possibilities.

"Maybe someday soon," he whispered to himself.

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><p><strong>Feel free to leave a review! <strong>

**~Heidi**


	4. Chapter 4

**After many requests I have written the next installment of Captain's Orders. I do hope you all enjoy. I honestly don't know how long it will take me to get the next one out, but since the next chapter will probably be the finale I'll try and write it over winter break.**

**Thank you all for your support and interest in this story! - Heidi**

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><p>Blaine set the tray of food down and paced his cabin for a while. It was weird wasn't it, what just happened? Then why was he so calm about it? No, no, it wasn't strange; Kurt had just done that because he was so overcome by his emotions.<p>

_Why do I want more? What is wrong with me?_

Blaine found himself sitting on the floor biting his lip in stressful frustration. He ached at how alone he felt now that Kurt wasn't in his arms. Just that brief moment of affection he felt caught up with every ounce of familiarity he'd ever missed.

He decided that dwelling on whatever it was he was dwelling on was doing him no good so he sat at his desk and ate his, now cold, dinner and went over to his bed to get as much rest as he could manage before the new day.

As usual, Blaine woke from his sleep, only his time he wasn't covered in cold sweat with a heaving chest and a pounding heart. He sat propped up by his elbows perplexed by the change in routine, but eventually dismissed it as it was probably just a fluke.

It was not yet dawn; he guessed around 4 in the morning. This time of year the sun rises around 6, and that is when the crew starts their day. He got up out of bed, lit his lantern, and let his eyes adjust. Since he wasn't very tired he decided to go below deck to the kitchen and clean his dinner plate from last night. He dressed himself and grabbed the plate in one hand while carrying the lantern in the other. He skillfully pushed open his cabin door with his hip, crossed through the threshold, and closed it the same way. He walked below deck and turned to the right when he reached the end of the stairs. He set his tray down on the counter top and set his bowl in a bucket of water with other dishes in it to soak. He looked to his left, down the length of the kitchen. There was one, small, round, window letting in just enough moonlight to emit a blue-white glow in the room. At the far end of the kitchen there was an open doorway that led to a storeroom, only since they gained Kurt's services, and the regular crew's quarters were so packed full, that storeroom now doubled as Kurt's sleeping quarters.

Seeming to have lost all control of his motor skills Blaine found himself walking over to the storeroom. He could just barely see the outline of Kurt's sleeping face.

_I just have to see him. Just look. Just.. Just…_

He was there. Standing over Kurt as he slept, like a lunatic.

Kurt shifted in his sleep, as though he knew he was no longer alone in his little room.

Time seemed to slow down and Blaine watched the soundly sleeping Kurt for what seemed like an eternity until Kurt's eyes suddenly snapped open. Blaine shuffled backward with a start until he hit a barrel and stumbled backward toward the doorway. Kurt laid there for a while staring at the ceiling. After a few seconds he let his eyelids droop back down, but then he thought about a noise, a noise he may or may not have heard.

_Maybe it was in my dream? …Ah well, no harm in checking I suppose._

Kurt opened his eyes and scanned the room until he realized there was a silhouette near the entry way. He sat up in alarm but put too much weight on one arm and WHAM! The hammock flipped over and Kurt fell, face first, onto the floor.

"KURT!...Oh my God… Kurt!"

Kurt's eyes fluttered open, dazed and throbbing in pain, he could barely see in the dim light and his hearing, muffled and distant, made it hard to make out what his company was saying.

Blaine tried again.

"Kurt, God, are you okay? That was a nasty fall you took."

Kurt looked in his direction.

_Oh, it's Blaine. _

"Shit, your nose is bleeding. Come on, let's get you cleaned up"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's arm and helped him up off the floor. He walked him into the kitchen while Kurt held his face and mumbled incoherently.

"Here, look up," Blaine said holding Kurt's chin and gently forcing it upward.

He reached over and dipped the tip of a rag into a bucket. Kurt winced as his face was dabbed with the salty ocean water. The pain woke him up from his dizzy delusion. He looked at Blaine for a while, studying the features of his face, memorizing his little quirks, but decided it would be strange if he stared for too long so he finally settled on looking off to the side. Blaine finished cleaning the blood from his face and moved over to wash the rag as best he could.

"..Uh-h..Thanks," Kurt said just above a whisper, "but, um.. why were you in my room?"

Blaine shot his head in Kurt's direction, looking utterly horrified. "I uh, I was just–," he stammered, looking hesitant.

Kurt cocked his head with interest, his eyes growing wider with every passing word.

Blaine sighed heavily and then puffed up his chest. "I was just… Checking on you," his eyes darted back and forth, face growing redder by the second. "Okay?" he said with heightened emphasis.

Kurt noticed the panicked look in Blaine's face and decided not to question further.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks then, I guess."

The two sat in silence for some time. Blaine admired Kurt in the moonlight. Kurt pretended he was busy by examining the floorboards and picking at his fingernails. Blaine scooted closer to Kurt and reached out to touch his face. Kurt jumped in surprise, but relaxed into Blaine's hand and then looked at him questioningly.

"Captain? What's—"

"Kurt" Blaine whispered as he leaned closer.

Oh so beautiful his name sounded rolling from Blaine's lips. _Kurt_. He called me by name. Finally…Finally he... –Why does that make me so happy?

Suddenly realizing how wildly inappropriate the situation was, Kurt snapped back away from the on-coming affection. Blaine was taken aback, and he retracted his hand and spun around quickly to hide the damaged look on his face.

"Blaine, I'm..I'm sorry" Kurt said tenderly as he slid off the counter top.

Kurt walked over to talk to Blaine face-to-face but before he could the boy stormed out and rushed up the stairs out of sight.

Kurt stood there with his hand on his face where Blaine's had just been.

He heard heavy footsteps and a door slam overhead.

_I guess that's it, then._


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